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And when they came to Kelso town,
They gaured the clap gae throu'
Saw ye a lass wi' a hood and mantle,
The face o't lined up wi' blue?
The face o't lined up wi' blue,

And the tail turned up wi' green ;—
Saw ye a lass wi a hood and mantle,
Should been married on Tuesday 'te'en?

O at the saft and silly bridegroom
The bridemaids a' were laughin',

When up there spake the bridegroom's man,
Now what means a' this daffin,

For woman's love's a wilfu' thing,
And fancy flies fu' free;

Then hey play up the rinaway bride,

For she has ta'en the gee.

There is a lively and original spirit in this song such as few songs possess. It first found a place in Yair's collection, and then in David Herd's; but it was popular among the peasantry before, and few districts are without numerous variations. The present copy seems more complete and consistent than the others, and the concluding verse is without the indelicacy which polluted the earlier versions.

OUR GUDEMAN CAME HAME AT E'EN.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,

And hame came he,

And there he saw a saddle-horse,

Where nae horse should be: And how came this horse here, And how can it be?

O how came this horse here

Without the leave o' me?

A horse! quo' she,-aye, a horse, quo' he.

Ye blind donard bodie,

And blinder may ye be,

'Tis but a dainty milk-cow

My mither sent to me.

A milk cow! quo' he,—aye, a milk cow, quo' she.

O far hae I ridden,

And meikle hae I seen,

But a saddle on a milk-cow
Afore I ne'er saw nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he,

And he spied a pair of jack-boots

Where nae boots should be:

What's this now, gudewife,

What's this I see?

How came these boots here

Without the leave o' me?

Boots! quo' she,-aye, boots! quo' he.

Shame fa' yere cuckold face,

And waur may ye see,

It's but a pair o' milking pails

My minnie sent to me.

Milking-pails! quo' he,-aye, milking-pails! quo' she.

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But siller spurs on milking-pails

Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he,

And there he saw a shining sword
Where nae sword should be:

What's this now, gudewife,
And what's this I see?

O how came this sword here

Without the leave o' me?

A sword! quo' she,-aye, a sword! quo' he.

Shame fa' yere cuckold face,

And waur may ye see,
It's but a porridge spurtle

My mither sent to me.

A spurtle! quo' he,-aye, a spurtle! quo' she.

Far hae I ridden, love,

And meikle hae I seen,

But silver hilted spurtles

Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,

And hame came he,

And there he spied a powdered wig

Where nae wig should be ; What's this now, gudewife, What's this I see?

How came this wig here

Without the leave o' me?

A wig! quo' she,-aye, a wig! quo' he.

Shame fa' yere cuckold face,

And waur may ye see,

"Tis nothing but a clocking-hen

My mither sent to me.

A clocking-hen! quo' he,—aye, a clocking-hen! quo'

she.

Far hae I ridden, love,

And meikle hae I seen,

But powder on a clocking-hen
Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,

And hame came he,

And there he saw a meikle coat

Where nae coat should be:

And how came this coat here,

And how can it be?

O how came this coat here

Without the leave o' me?

A coat! quo' she,-aye, a coat! quo' he.

Ye blind donard bodie,

And blinder may ye be;

It's but a pair o' blankets

My mither sent to me.

Blankets! quo' he,—aye, blankets! quo' she.

Far hae I ridden, love,

And meikle hae I seen;

But buttons upon blankets

Saw I never nane.

Ben went our gudeman,
And ben went he;

And there he spied a sturdy man
Where nae man should be.

How came this man here?

And how can it be?

How came this man here

Without the leave o' me?

A man! quo' she,―aye, a man! quo' he.

Ye silly blind bodie,

And blinder may ye be

;

'Tis a new milking maiden

My mither sent to me.

A maid! quo' he,-aye, a maid! quo' she.

Far hae I ridden, love,

And meikle hae I seen;

VOL. III.

с

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